Air supply for can baskets



Mayl3, 1930. A, MART CELLO 1,758,614

AIR SUPPLY FOR CAN BASKETS Filed Feb. 15, 1927 Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED sr iEs JOSEPH A. MARTOGELLO, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA AIR- SUP PLY FOR CAN'IBASKETS Application filed February 15, 1927. Serial 1\ T0. 168,265.

My invention relates to can baskets for use in making ice and has particular reference to the air connections of can baskets.

A purpose of my invention is to permanent- 1y fasten an air lateral inside a can basket 7 and to run air tubes from the lateral down grooves on the outside of the respective cans for connection up through the bottoms of the cans, preferably running the tubes down upon the insides of the respective can bands into the open ends of the grooves.

A further purpose is to place an easily removable high pressure orifice between a tube and a permanent inside lateral of a can basket. Y

A further purpose is to place a control valve between each tube and a permanent inside air lateral of a can basket, making stuffing box connection between the tube and valve and making elbow connection from the tube into the bottom of the can.

Further purposes will appear in-the specification and in the claims.

I have preferred to show one main form only of my invention, and have selected a form that is practical and efficient in operation and which illustrates particularly well the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a side elevation with one side frame member removed, illustrating my in vention adapted to a can basket of the shell cooler type.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of a can basket embodying my'invention.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of Figure 2, taken upon the line 33 in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification of a part of FigureS.

Figure 1 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken upon the line 4.-4t of Figure 3, illustrating the air connection between the air tube and lateral. I

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken upon line 5-5 of Figure 2 and shows the connection from the air tube into the can.

Like numerals refer to. like parts in allthe figures. v

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to the drawings In modern ice manufacturing the ice cans are frequently handled in basket units,usually at leastfive or six cans to a basket. After the freezing operation is complete the unit is lifted away from the freezing floor and is transferred. first to a thawing tank, where it is, dipped into warm water until the ice is thawed free from the cans and then to the dump where the basket unit is tipped over until the ice slides from the cans. The cans of the unit are then refilled with water and the unit is taken back to the freezing floor for the freezing of another batch of ice.

' The types of basket vary in practice but in this application I have illustrated my invention asapplied to a basket of the shell cooler type, though I am aware that it is well adapted to use with other types of basket.

In-the shell type of cooler the cans of a basket unit do not have to be spaced from one another to any appreciable extent as there are no coils between adjacent cans.

In the illustration the can basket side frame members are shown at 10 and 11 and the cans are supported in the side frames by supporting strips 12, 13 upon which the, upper can rims 14 and 15 rest. Thelateral 16 is per-- manently secured to extend along the inside of one of the side frame members above the cans.

The cans are grooved usually on one side only but may be grooved on both sides as at 17 and this grooving may extend throughoutthe entire lengths of the cans as in Figure 3 or throughout-a portion only ofthe length of the can as in Figure 3*. Inthe latter the tube turns outwardly at 18 so asto pass through the ungrooved end of the can. The bottoms 19 and the sides 20 are united by a crimped flange 21. 1

The lateral is connected to the cans by means of valves 22, downwardly extending tubes 23, passing between the rims and cans through the can grooves, and bottom inlets 24:. The valve 22 is combined with a fitting 25 threaded into the lateral and terminating in a reduced opening 26 connecting with a relatively enlarged reservoir space 27 within the above the bottom 28 of the pipe space.

The valve comprises a tapered valve-opening 29 and a plug 30. The plug has a restricted opening 31 which may differ in size for different plugs adapted to fit the same opening. This makes the extent of opening and therefore the extent of restriction readi= ly changeable by use ofdifi'erent plugs.

The plug is turned by handle 32 so as to provide passage of air from the reservoir space 27 to the space 33 beyond the valve or closure of air from such passage, as preferred.

The pipe 23 terminates at 34 within a hollow threaded extension 35. communicating with thespace 33, and the terminal 34 is held within this threaded extension and is sealed against air leakage past it by an internally threaded cap 36 and packing 37. 7

At the opposite end the pipe terminates at 38 within ahollow externally threaded extension 39 of a fitting 40 within which the pipeterminal 33 is held by an internally threaded cap 41- and packing 42 heldagainst the end of the extension 39 and against the pipe by tightening of the cap. The space about the terminal 38 is relatively fiared at 43 to cooperate with a taper sleeve 44 upon terminal38. i ,7

The fitting 40 terminates at its opposite end in a right angular extension 45 which is hollow, externally threaded and in fluid communication with the pipe terminal 38. This extension 45 passes through an opening 7 in the bottom 19 and is flanged at 45 so that the fitting may be sealed against the bottom by nut 46 and'packing 47 48.

The frame member 10 or 11 protects the lateral which will be preferably permanently attached to the frame member in position to connect with the air tube. g

It will be noted that the air tube is further protected by passing within the groove in the can. At the upper end it lies between the rim or band 14 or 15 and the can.

The stuffing box connection of the tube at both ends permits easy and convenient 2. A can air lateral permanently fastened inside the basket, tubes, one in each of the grooves having their upper ends inside the can bands, and conduit connections from the upper ends of the tubes to thelateral and from the lower vends of ,the tubes into the bottoms ofthe cans. v

basket, cans therein having outside downwardly extending grooves, an outside bandaround the top of each can, an air lateral permanently-fastened inside the basket, tubes, lying one in each of the grooves for connection into the bottoms of the cans, and conduit connections passing inside the bands fromthe upper ends of the tubes to the lateral and havingstufiing box unions with the tubes.

3. A can basket, cans therein having outside downwardly extending grooves, an air lateral permanently fastened inside the bas ket and tubes, one in each of the grooves for connection into the bottoms of the can in combination with conduit co-nnectionsfrom the upper ends 01' the tubes into the lateral including each a plug valve having a removable plug with a high pressure orifice.

4. A can basket, canstherein having outside open downwardly extending grooves, an air lateral permanently fastened inside the basket and tubes rigidly connected with the placing of the tube and at the same time provides for a of the tube.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtpositive seal and firm attachment less become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain part or all of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. A can basket, cans therein having outside downwardly extending grooves, an'outside band around the top of each can, an 

